Marker vs Surya
Marker vs Surya compared for 2026 — features, license, ease of use, performance and which one to choose. Convert PDFs to clean Markdown fast vs Modern OCR with layout detection.
Updated regularly · curated by OpenSourceAI.tech
Marker vs Surya at a glance
| Spec | Marker | Surya |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Document AI & OCR | Document AI & OCR |
| Type | PDF-to-Markdown converter | OCR toolkit |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Runs locally | Yes | Yes |
| Primary language | Python | Python |
| Ease of use | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| Best for | developers feeding documents into RAG pipelines | developers who need OCR beyond plain text |
| GitHub stars | — | — |
How Marker and Surya score
| Criterion | Marker | Surya |
|---|---|---|
| Popularity | n/a | n/a |
| Maintenance | n/a | n/a |
| Ease of use | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Privacy | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| License freedom | 3.5 | 3.5 |
Scores are computed automatically from public signals — GitHub stars (popularity), recent commit activity (maintenance), license type (freedom), local-first design (privacy) and onboarding complexity (ease of use). Indicative, not a verdict.
What each one is
Marker
Marker converts PDFs and office documents to clean Markdown, JSON and HTML with high accuracy, handling tables, equations and multi-column layouts.
- High-accuracy PDF to Markdown, tables included
- Handles equations and complex layouts
- Fast batch conversion on GPU or CPU
Surya
Surya is a modern OCR toolkit providing text recognition in 90+ languages plus layout analysis, reading order and table detection.
- 90+ languages with strong accuracy
- Layout, reading order and table detection
- Runs locally on modest GPUs
Key differences
Marker is pDF-to-Markdown converter, while Surya is oCR toolkit. In short, Marker fits developers feeding documents into RAG pipelines, and Surya fits developers who need OCR beyond plain text.
Which should you choose?
Choose Marker for developers feeding documents into RAG pipelines. Choose Surya for developers who need OCR beyond plain text.
There is rarely one winner — many setups use both. The right pick depends on your hardware, your team's skills, and whether you value simplicity or control.
Frequently asked questions
Is Marker or Surya easier to use?
Both sit at a similar level (Intermediate). Your choice should come down to fit rather than difficulty.
Are Marker and Surya free?
Marker is free and open source (GPL-3.0), and Surya is free and open source (GPL-3.0). Neither charges for the core software.
Can I run Marker and Surya locally?
Marker: yes · Surya: yes. Both can be used without sending your data to a third-party cloud where their setup allows.
Marker vs Surya — which should I pick in 2026?
Choose Marker for developers feeding documents into RAG pipelines. Choose Surya for developers who need OCR beyond plain text.
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